Digital Dash Swap?

[Patened]

I haven't been on in a while. Between work, a little boy that needs constant care, and just every day life, I haven't had a whole lot of time. Here's what's going on.

I did have the cluster installed and working. I was using ccfl's for the back ligthting, but I found that they weren't the best choice to use for a vehicle that goes off road. On the first really hard "hit" the cluster went black...so I have to rethink the lighting thing. I can't remember whose idea it was, but I think the best way to achieve good even lighting would be to use L.E.D. strips. So I'm back to my analog gauges for now.

The oil gauge will always be a "dummy light" with this set up. The only way to get a proper pressure reading is to install another gauge for the oil. Yes you also have to use the 2 wire temp sender. Adding the wires to the pcm was very easy. I went to the u-pull and grabbed a dozen or so runs of wire from a donor vehicles pcm harness. To the best of my knowledge, the speedometer was accurate, at least according to my gps, which is close enough for me.

I did get impatient, so I never did do the "blue tint mod", but I think that the cluster looks more factory in the ugly green, just like all the rest of the lighting in the X.

I've been trying to do a "how to" write up for this install, but I never did realize how much time it takes to put one together, and for the reasons I listed above, I haven't finished it yet. I was trying to get all my pics in order, so the links ended up being broken. I will restore them a.s.a.p.

FOR ALL OF YOU OUT THERE THAT HAVE GIVEN DETAILED "HOW TO'S" WITH PICTURES, MY HAT GOES OFF TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE POSTED THAT MANY, MYSELF INCLUDED, HAVE TAKEN FORE GRANTED.

EDIT:
I'm just adding the pics in order of construction so that people can see what has to happen.

If anyone has questions or any feedback either post or send a pm and I will try to answer as soon as I can. Good luck with this mod, it takes more time and patience than skill.

How Much to have one made for a 1991 ford explorer? or somewhere i can go buy one and replace the stock one for instructions on how to bulid one myself

 

[geoph1986]

How Much to have one made for a 1991 ford explorer? or somewhere i can go buy one and replace the stock one for instructions on how to bulid one myself

I built this one myself. The cost was less than $100. The cluster was out of a Mercury Cougar...I believe it was a 91. My X was a 94, and it would be pretty much the same. If you read the entire thread, all the wiring diagrams and what took place to make it happen are there. I had a major issue with getting reliable backlighting. I don't know of anywhere you can buy one, as the Explorer didn't come with a digital cluster as an option.

 

[Patened]

so im leaving

im going on the road for work for 6 weeks at a time and my brother rolled his x so hes buliding another one and we both want one, how much would it cost for you to make two of those one for me and one for my brother? we both make good money and are very serious no games

 

[arco777]

I still have mine and would sell it as is if somebody really wanted it, but my problem was the same... couldn't figure out a good lighting solution. I was about to use EL panels but lost interest due to a marriage and two moves.

If you're interested in buying the building blocks for the project we can talk, but you'd still have to finish it.

 

[Patened]

you have any pictures? ya im looking to buy 1 or 2 with no issues im very interested me and my bro are.

 

[arco777]

I think there are pictures in the thread. My setup was similar to geoph1986's but I did not have a mounting plate or cover for it made. The wiring conversion is pretty much done.

But as for "no issues", these things have issues. They're not ready to go. You'll have to mount the gauges in the shell, mount a cover and make it pretty, solder all the wiring, may have to modify your oil pressure sender, figure out lighting and install it and wire it up... it's a project. And I only have one. Honestly for the trouble involved you'd have an easier time building your own. It's not real hard if you have a little electronic skill and experience building things with a dremel and plastic scrap.

The worth of the parts to me is almost nothing. I could sell the parts I have made cheap. But to get it put together and working would require enough cash to motivate me to finish, and then I'd want it in my car instead.

 

[Patened]

ya i would need someone to bulid me one and i would take care of the install or i would need a big set of instructions

 

[geoph1986]

like Arco said, it's not a hard project, just time consuming (took me about 80 hours total..a lot of trial and error). It's a hobby project. Along with the cluster, you have to add wires to your PCM harness, you have to figure out a place to mount the buttons for the cluster, tap into your X's VSS, etc. Like I said, it's a hobby project. If you really want one, your best bet is to do it yourself as time permits. This was all done with junkyard parts and was only around $100. Sorry, I know that's not the answer you wanted.

 

[arco777]

Along with the cluster, you have to add wires to your PCM harness, you have to figure out a place to mount the buttons for the cluster, tap into your X's VSS, etc.

I forgot about all that... shows how long it's been. Still have the button panel in my Explorer next to the tranny temp gauge. Lights up but doesn't do anything, haha. Yeah this is a project for sure. Maybe someday I'll start working on it again...

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Well, looks like im back on to this...

 

[arco777]

Looks great. Makes me want to try building one again. Did you solve the backlighting issues?

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

to be honest, im just going to keep the stock light bar that is already in these things and use regular bulbs inside them instead of the xenon ones. i like the even light output on it, and im pretty sure i can retain it

 

[snoranger]

Well, looks like im back on to this...

The only way to make it look 100% stock would be to move your gas filler to the passenger side.

 

[arco777]

The only way to make it look 100% stock would be to move your gas filler to the passenger side.

Sharp eye! That's what a Sharpie is for though, could black out the FILL>

 

[snoranger]

No, No, No, Just scrap the whole project. :

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Lol, well I will most likely be ditching the stock overlay but if I can find a way to intergrate it in, I will. But yes, the fuel door indicator is in the wrong spot lol.

And just like Geoff, i will mount it the same way with an overlay on top. I will add i think 6 dummy lights to the top, which are:

Anti-Theft (For my viper alarm)
Airbag (For my side airbags)
Door Ajar (Controlled by the cougar chime modules [Which I am also adding])
High Beam
Seat belt Reminder
O/D Off (For my 5R55E swap)

Im going to try and use the style of the first gen explorer where just the symbol lights up, not the whole picture, Ie:

This:

Not This:

 

[geoph1986]

NICE59FORDF100:

The pics that you just posted...is that just the unmodified Cougar cluster? It's been so long that some of my memories of this mod are a bit fuzzy. I do remember that I couldn't seem to find a way to use the Cougar's overlay, that's why I made mine the way I did. I also wanted to use the factory harness plugs so I could switch back to analog if I had to.

Also, I found that by using the Explorer's housing, there wasn't enough room that light bar. I tried a bunch of things and the only thing that seemed to work well in the limited space were ccfl bulbs for lcd screens. The finished project used 2 of them with a voltage controller to bring 12v to the appropriate mA that the bulbs required. I never did get a final version of this done because Snot's frame was twisted riding a guardrail like a pipe ramp and then was parked. Eventually Snot was finished off in an oval track hillbilly demo race.

Don't forget, you need a place to mount the button panel. I never finished that part either. If you have a 4x4, you won't be able to mount them like Arco did.

BTW, this is what Snot looked like in the end. Sorry for the pic quality, they were taken with a cheap blackberry.

 

[arco777]

The lighting was what held me up too; my approach was going to be electroluminescent panels.

On the buttons, mine is a 4wd but with a manual t-case. Another option for mounting might be the empty space on the drivers side door panel above the power window switches. There's a flat rectangular spot you could probably mount something to. Even if the stock button cluster didn't work, the electronics would be easy to replicate - they are simply each applying current through their own individual resistor to register different buttons, as I recall, so you could miniaturize that circuit with individual parts from Radio Shack and use your own buttons.

 

[arco777]

finished off in an oval track hillbilly demo race.

BTW, this is what Snot looked like in the end.

I didn't want to see that...

 

[geoph1986]

I didn't want to see that...

Snot's in a better place now. If it makes you feel any better, I did give away all my extra parts and most of the plastic pieces off the body. Plus Snot had really bad cancer.